Knitted fabric and method of making the same



Dec. 29, 1942. w. L. SMITH, JR 2,306,914

BYH,

Patented Dec. 29, 1942 2,306,914 A KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD F MAKING THE'SAME william L. smith, Jr., rawttcket, n. L, signor to Hemphill Company. Central Falls, R. poration of Massachusetts I., a cor- Appucauoa February 24, 1940, serial No. 320,529 1o claims. "(cl. cie-172) This invention relates to knitted fabrics and methods of knittingthe same and more particularly to lmitted fabrics, such as hosiery, having elastic incorporated in the tops thereof Ato provide self-supportingv stockings. Specifically vthe invention pertains to the incorporation .of elastic courses adjacent to the selvages of knitted fabrics, such as hosiery, to .prevent outward curling or rolling thereof.

In the drawing: y

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of the invention illustrated as applied to a stocking;

Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of a fabric illustrating the knitting thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the l5'- fabric illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to. Fig. 2 butshowlng the distortion of the fabricA by reason ofA the incorporated elastic;

Fig. 5 is a sectional, diagrammatic view illustrating the eect of adjacent elastic courses on the selvage; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of'a portion of the fabric illustrated in Fig. l, more clearly tov show how the tension upon the elastic aects the selvage.

The fabric now to be described may be knitted on a two-feed knitting fachine, such as ,that diagrammatically illustrated in St. Pierre Patent No. 2,131,720, September 27, 1938, at the auxiliary feed of which the elastic is fed to the needles in a manner hereinafter to be described and at the main feed of which a relatively inelastic thread or yarn, such as cotton, is fed to the needles likewise in the manner'now to be described.

When practicing the .invention on a two-feed machine having a. needle cylinder, the elastic yarn or thread E is fed to alternate needles and caught in the hooks thereof at the auxiliary feeding station for the course l. Continued rotation of the needles causes all the needles to engage the inelastic thread C in their hooks. The alternate needles, knitting the Wales as 2, 3, 4, 6 and 6, act to draw bights of loops of the thread or yarn C, as illustrated in Fig. 2 at the course "l, said bights or loops of the thread C being drawn through bights or loops of the elastic thread E which passed below the latches of alternate needles as the said alternate needles were elevated upon approaching the main feeding station. The intermediate needles that knit the Wales, such as 2', 3', 4' and 5', engage the thread or yarn C in their hooks. Continued rotation of the needle cylinder causes the needles vious course elastic loops to effect the knitting therein again to approach the auxiliary feeding station where the alternate needles that knit the wales 2, 3, I, 5 and 8 draw loops or bights of. the elasticthread through previous course loops of the thread C to effect the knitting of the course ,8. The intermediate needles that knit the wales 2', v3'. 4' and 5' pass idly by the auxiliaryfeeding station.` Upon again reaching the main-feeding station the alternate needles again draw bights or loops of the yarn C through preof the course d, whereas'the intermediate needles which are not elevated to clear their latches as they approach the main feeding station, again engage the thread or yarn C in their hooks to effect tucking. Continued rotation of the needle cylinder causes the alternate needles only to be elevated which causes the course 9 loops of the thread C on the said alternate needles to pass below the latches. The said alternate needles then again engage the elastic thread E in their hooks, depression of the needles then causing the loops of the elastic thread E to be drawn through the loops of course 9 to constitute course it. All the needles, in this revolution of the needle cylinder, pass idly by the main feeding station. The knitting of the courses ll and l2 proceeds in like manner, that is, with the elastic thread E being knitted through previous course elastic loops only at the wales knitted by the alternate needles, whereas all the needles pass idly by the main feeding station. During the knitting of the following' course i3 the elastic thread E is knitted by the alternate needles at the alternate feeding station as before, but as the needles approach the main feeding station-they all are elevated to cause the loops hanging on the latches thereof to pass below the said latches, e. g., elastic loops of course I3 on the alternate needles and the cotton loops of courses 'l and 9 on the latches of the intermediate needles. Then all of the needles engage the yarn C in their hooks and draw bights or loops thereof through the stitches that have just been caused to pass below needle latches thus effecting knitting of the course I4. The knitting of the courses just described, constltute the selvage and an anti-curl or roll portion indicated at I5, Fig. 1.

Following the knitting of the course Il, other elastic carrying courses I6, that is, courses in which elastic yarn is incorporated to be held, may be knitted in the manner similar to that disclosed in the St. Pierre Patent No. 2,131,720 or in any other desired manner. The courses I6 an elastic yarn incorporated therewith constitute the rib top of the stocking shown at R, Fig. l.. While the invention herein disclosed is primarily vdirected to the selvage and anti-curl courses I5, lpreferably this part I of the stocking top, is

followed by a continuing portion of the top 5 knitted with elastic thread or rubber incorporated therein in such a manner as to simulate rib knitting, i. e., rib tops lmitted on two sets of needles. The remaining portion of the stocking. such as the leg I'I, heel I8, foot i9, and toe 26, may be l0 knitted in any desired manner. Furthermore, the top of the stocking may be knitted on one machine and secured in any desired manner to a separately knitted leg and foot of a mans, childs or womans stocking. The separately knitted stocking may be made upon an independent needle machine or upon a so-called fullfashioned machine.

The method of knitting, as hereinbefore described, has had particular reference to the fabric illustrated in Fig. 2. The welt effect of such a top is illustrated in Fig. 3, the elastic courses IU to i3 assuming a position on the inside of the stocking, the elastic constituting the courses I and 8, or in other words, that incorv porated to be held in inelastic yarn course 1, being on the outer face of .the stocking.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the fabric has been illustrated in its undistorted condition. The knitting of the tuck stitches at the wales 2', 3', 4' and 5,rf3"0 and the knitting tension imposed upon the elastic thread E during knitting, distorts the fabric from that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a few wales and courses of the selvage courses as they appear when distorted due to the knitting of the v`:3,5 tuck stitches and the tension upon the elastic threads. However, even in Fig. 4, to avoid the showing of solid black it has been found necessary to illustrate the elasticV loops, that is, the drawing of elastic stitches through previous` course elastic stitches, and also to illustrate the elastic iioats as spaced. Actually the spaced elastic courses ID, II,` I2 and I3 draw together until the elastic is actually in contact or nearly so especially at the intermediate wales 2', 3', 4' and 5 across which the elastic strands iioat. Even at the alternate wales the elastic through elastic loops draw together into nearly straight lines. The adjacency of the stitches of the elastic strands is illustrated in Fig. 5. The elastic course I straightens out in the completed stocking, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the elastic strands constituting courses Il), II, I2 and I3, are-'in contact or nearly so, forming a bead which is quite noticeable on the inside of a completed stocking, this bead of elastic having the effect of tending to pull the course 9 over to the inside of the stocking thus resisting any tendencyv of the stocking top to roll or curl outwardly. Thus '60 the elastic courses I0, II, I2 and I3 eiect the knitting of a welt which does not tend to roll or curl outwardly, furthermore, the welt effects a stiffening and strengthening of the selvage. Knitting tuck stitches at the intermediate wales in conjunction with the alternate knitting of elastic and inelastic yarns at the alternate wales, effects the knitting of a scalloped or picot edge.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the top of the stocking curves inwardly, as indicated at 2l, thus further 70 resisting the outward curling tendency of the top of a stocking knitted with cylinder needles only.

Whereas a single group of exclusively elasti courses I0 to I3 inclusive, has beendescribed 75 and illustrated, modifications thereof may be adopted, e. g., a group of elastic courses, like IU to I3 inclusive, may follow course I4, the needles knitting the intermediate wales 2', 3', 4' and 5' in such a case again tucking at the main feeding station in the course following course I3 while the needles that knit the alternate wales as 2, 3, l, 5, 6 pass idly by the' main feeding station. Flolligviii courses are knitted as the courses I0.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the selvage is knitted with plain wales as distinguished from rib Wales knitted with two sets of needles and further that the method of knitting hereinbefore described causes the top of the stocking to be drawn to the inside thus restraining the tendency of a plain knitted selvage to roll or curl outwardly.

While, for convenience, the stocking top has been described as having been knitted on a circular series of needles which have independent movements, it is evident that the knitting of the stocking is not restricted to such a machine. Furthermore, the terms employed have 'been used for descriptive purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

. I claim:

1. A selvage knitted stocking top formed from inelastic and elastic threads, the iirst' course of which consists of elastic thread, the second course of relatively inelastic thread, the third course being of elastic thread knitted only at alternate wales, said elastic thread floating across the backs of intermediate Wales, the fourth course consisting of relatively inelasticthread, said inelastic thread being knitted at alternate wales an'd tucked at intermediate wales, a plurality of consecutive courses following consisting of elastic thread only knitted at alternate wales and floated across the backs of intermediate wales, the next course consisting of relatively non-elastic thread knitted at all the wales.

2. A plain'knitted stocking top formed from elastic and inelastic yarns and havinga selvage including a. course of inelastic yarn through the sinker loops of which an elastic yarn is threaded, a plurality of courses adjacent said selvage knitted from elastic yarn only and over the face of which spaced loops in the first mentioned inelastic yarn course extend and an inelastic yarn course the-loops of which are drawn through the loops of elastic yarn in the last knitted of the plurality of elastic yarn courses and the said spaced loops of the first mentioned elastic yarn course.

3. A plain knitted stocking top formed from elastic and inelastic yarns and having a. selvage and a portion of said top adjacent said selvage knitted in a manner to prevent curling ofthe edge of the fabric, the portion adjacent said edge including alternating courses of inelastic and elastic yarn and then a plurality of courses knitted from elastic yarn only, and thereafter, other courses in which the said elastic and inelastic yarns are alternately drawn into knitted loops, and further, spaced loops drawn in the first mentioned inelastic yarn courses being tucked or held and having knitted through them, certain loops of an inelastic yarn course following said plurality of courses in which elastic yarn only is knitted.

4. A plain knitted stocking top formed from elastic and inelastic yarns and having a selvage and adjacent said selvage a portion of said top so knitted as to resist curling, the construction of said portion including at least one course of inelastic yarn drawn into knitted loops at all wales, then a, plurality of courses in which an elastic yarn only is drawn into. knitted loops at each course but at spaced wales only and thereafter, a course of inelastic yarn knitted in each wale and having its loops drawn through the last knitted loops of the elastic yarn in said plurality of courses and certain of the loops in the irst mentioned inelastic yarn course which have been held or tucked over said plurality of courses.

5. A plain knitted stocking top having a selvage and being formed from elastic and inelastic yarns, the said elastic yarn being so knitted under tension as to draw spaced wales of the fabric together to simulate a ribbed appearance, the construction including courses of inelastic yarn drawn into knitted loops at each wale andhaving at alternate wales an elastic yarn so incorporated as to be held at tho-se wales only, then a plurality of courses knitted from elastic yarn only and being drawn into knitted loops at a1- ternate wales only followed by an inelastic yarn course some of the loops of which are drawn through elastic yarn loops in alternate wales and intermediate loops of which are drawn through held or tucked stitches of the first mentioned inelastic yarn which extend along the face of the fabric and in front of the elastic yarn in said plurality of courses.

6. A plain knitted stocking top having a selvage and being formed from elastic and inelastic yarns, the said elastic yarn being so knitted under tension as to draw spaced Wales of the fabric together to simulate a ribbed appearance, the construction including courses of inelastic yarn drawn into knitted loops at each Wale and having at alternate wales an elastic yarn so incorporated as to be held at those wales only, then a plurality of courses knitted from elastic yarn only and being drawn into knitted loops at alternate wales only followed by an inelastic yarn course some of the loops of which are drawn through elastic yarn loops in alternate wales and intermediate loops of which are drawn through held or tucked stitches of the first mentioned inelastic yarn which extend along the face of the fabric and in front of the elastic yarn in said plurality of courses and a plurality of courses following in which inelastic yarn is knitted in all Wales and elastic yarn incorporated to lbe held at spaced Wales only.

7. A method of knitting a. plain knitted stocking top including the steps of forming courses from inelastic yarn and elastic yarn and in such a manner that the elastic yarn is knitted under tension and in non-adjacent wales to be held therein for drawing said wales laterally together to simulate a ribbed appearance, and adjacent the edge of said top. holding certain loops of inelastic yarn while a plurality of courses are knitted from elastic yarn only and thereafter continuing the knitting with said inelastic and elastic yarns.

8. A plain knitted stocking top formed from elastic and inelastic yarns and having a selvage which is comprised of at least one elastic yarn course. incorporated to be held in a course of inelastic yarn, and following said selvage, a plurality of consecutive courses' in which elastic yarn only is knitted.

9. A plain knitted stocking top having a selvage and being formed from elastic and inelastic yarns, and having at the inside of said top and following the selvage thereof, a plurality of courses knitted from elastic yarn only under tension and in such a manner as to draw the edge of the top inwardly to resist curling. and following said selvage and plurality of courses knitted from elastic yarn only, inelastic yarn courses with spaced ones of which the elastic yarn is incorporated in a manner to be held at spaced wales under tension.

10. A method of knitting a plain knitted stocking top including the steps of forming a selvage by incorporating an elastic yarn to be held by sinker loops of an initial inelastic yarn course, then knitting at spaced wales only a plurality of courses from only the elastic yarn, and while knitting said plurality of courses, holding intermediate loops of the initial course of inelastic yarn whereupon after completion of said courses knitted only from elastic yarn, a course of inelastic yarn is knitted by drawing stitches at each Wale and knitting off the last drawn stitches of the elastic yarn and the held stitches of the initial course of inelastic yarn, and thereafter continuing with the knitting of the top by forming courses of inelastic yarn in some of which elastic yarn is incorporated to be held at spaced wales and under tension.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR. 

